1st Guards Mechanized Corps | |
---|---|
Active | 1942–1946 |
Country | Soviet Union |
Branch | Armoured Forces |
Type | Mechanized Corps |
Role | Breakthrough and Exploitation in Deep Operations |
Size | ca. 19,000–20,000 men 180–220 tanks |
Engagements |
Operation Saturn Battle of Kursk Battle of Prokhorovka Lake Balaton Defensive Vienna Offensive Prague Offensive |
Battle honours | Vienna |
The 1st Guards 'Vienna' Order of Lenin Order of Kutuzov Mechanized Corps was a Red Army armoured formation that saw service during World War II on the Eastern Front. After the war it continued to serve with Soviet occupation forces in Central Europe. It was originally the 1st Guards Rifle Division. The unit had approximately the same size and combat power as an early-war Wehrmacht Panzer Division, or a British Armoured Division during World War II.
It was under the command of General Lieutenant Russiyanov, and gained the honorifics "Vienna, Voronezh".
In its final form, it was designated the 137th Military Base and was withdrawn from Vaziani in Georgia and disbanded in the early 1990s.
The 1st Guards Mechanized Corps was formed in November 1942 in the Tambov region during the re-establishment of the Mechanized Corps as a formation in the Red Army. It was then assigned to the Southwestern Front which was under the command of General N. F. Vatutin to participate in the encirclement of German Army Group A in Operation Saturn, which was undertaken during the Battle of Stalingrad.